Man Who Rushed Trump Has Cobb County, Atlanta Ties

Thomas DiMassimo, the man who rushed the stage at a Donald Trump rally in Ohio, has strong local ties to Cobb County and the city of Atlanta.

DiMassimo's mother is a former Cobb County transportation director, Faye DiMassimo, reports the AJC.

Trump was holding a rally in Dayton on Saturday, and DiMassimo tried to reach the podium with the intent on calling the GOP presidential frontrunner a racist. He was tackled by police before he made it to the podium. He's been charged with several misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct.

Faye DiMassimo is now administrator of the city of Atlanta’s infrastructure bond program.

In an interview with CNN that aired Sunday, DiMassimo called Trump a bully, and wanted to send a message to the candidate and his supporters.

DiMassimo's arrest is the latest in a series of recent incidents of violence at Trump rallies. After 78-year-old John McGraw was arrested for allegedly sucker-punching a 26-year-old black protester, Trump said Sunday morning on "Meet The Press" that he was exploring his options to pay McGraw's legal expenses.

Trump told "Meet The Press" that McGraw "obviously loves his country," adding that he might have gotten carried away.

The first widespread account of the Trump promise came February in Iowa, after he was the apparent target of a couple of poorly aimed tomatoes.

“So if you see someone getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of ‘em,” he said at the time. “I will pay for the legal fees. I promise.”

Trump cancelled a rally Friday in Chicago amid safety concerns.

Image via Gage Skidmore, Flicker, used under Creative Commons

Image via Gage Skidmore, Flicker, used under Creative Commons